Are you running a side hustle or small business and need to invoice a client? Great. Read on. We have a quick and free solution. We’ll also explore a few different long-term solutions for invoicing clients and managing your side hustle finances.
Lets go! Here’s what we’ll cover.
- Free Invoice Template to Use Right Now
- How to Manage Side Hustle Invoices (3 Options Compared)
- The Essential Elements of a Side Hustle Invoice
- How to Easily Manage Your Side Hustle Fiances
Free Invoice Template to Use Right Now
If you need to send an invoice right now, you’ve come to the right spot. Use this template to quickly make a free invoice. You can make copies of it and reuse it free forever.
Note: the idea with this invoice is that your client will pay you via an old-school check. This avoids fees! Most banks now offer online bill pay that mails out checks automatically so it should work fine.
Editing Invoice
Simply swap in your text. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Project/reference – Provide the name of the project or some point-of-reference so the recipient knows or remembers why they are getting this invoice
- Project number – It’s always best to have a unique number or alpha-numeric ID on each invoice so you and your client and keep track of things
- Billed to – Your contact at the company who will be responsible for paying the invoice or seeing it paid
- Contact info – Then fill in the address, email, phone number and website of the company or invoice recipient
- Service details – Enter the date, a description of the work down, and the fees/costs for each “line item”
- Total – This will be automatically calculated for you
- Terms – The default and most common terms for an invoice is that it has to be paid withing 30 days of receiving it. You can change this to 15, 45, 60, or even 90. But why wait?
- Logo options – On the top left you can swap in your own logo or just remove the HustleBooks logo. To swap yours in go to Insert on the top Google Sheets menu, then select Image and select Insert image in cell. (Be sure not to use the ‘Insert image over cells’ option, it doesn’t work as well)
Export PDF
Last you need to export the Invoice as a PDF. There is one detail to pay attention to to make sure the invoice looks nice. When you export click:
- Go to the Google Sheet File menu
- Select Download, then select PDF
- To make sure the invoice looks nice, without all the extra spreadsheet lines, under the Formatting box on the right, un-check the box that says “Show gridlines”
- Then click the blue Export button on the top-right side of the screen, the PDF will be downloaded to your Downloads folder (or whatever default folder you have set up under your browser settings)
- Email that to your client
How to Manage Side Hustle Invoices (3 Options Compared)
The invoice template works fine. But you may be wondering “what if my client wants to pay by credit card?”.
First, a side-note. If your client pays via credit card there are fees involved and someone will have to pay them. You’ll either have to add 3-4% to you invoice to cover the costs, or just eat the costs.
Because of fees, and because I like having physical paper to file away for each job, I like to still get paid via check. But there are other options. Here are some popular invoice solutions and some pros and cons of each.
Invoice Solution Option 1: Square
Square makes all sorts of payment solutions for small businesses from point-of-sale units you probably use each week at your favorite craft coffee shop, to those cool little white squares plugged into an iPhones used by artists at concert venues.
Square has a “free” invoice service that works pretty well. It’s “free” in the sense that there’s no monthly fees, unless you go with their Plus plan.
- Price: Free with the “Free” plan
- Fees: 3.3% of the entire invoice (processing fee) + 30 cent transaction fee
- So on an invoice of $1,000 you’ll have to pay $33.30 for credit cards
- Some payment methods cost slightly less or more
- Square Invoices pricing page
| Square Pros | Square Cons |
|---|---|
| No monthly fees | 3.3% processing fee + 30-cent transaction fee, you either have to charge that to the client or “eat” it |
| Works well for sending mobile invoices to smartphones | You have to set up a Square account (HustleBooks Invoice uses your existing Google account) |
| You can set up recurring automatic invoices if you charge a client each month | Limited customization options |
| You can add late fees | If your logo doesn’t look good in a small square the invoice might look sub-par (very minor detail, I know) |
Invoice Solution Option 2: Stripe Invoices
Stripe is a payments platform that is really popular with small businesses and web developers. For many uses cases Stripe is easier to use and provides a more professional user experience than it’s older and more established competitor PayPal.
- Price: Free with the “Starter” plan
- Fees: 3.3% of the entire invoice (2.9% Stripe payment fee + 0.4% invoice fee) + 30 cent transaction fee
- So on an invoice of $1,000 you’ll have to pay $33.30
- Stripe Payments pricing page (+ add .4% for invoices)
| Stripe Invoice Pros | Stripe Invoice Cons |
|---|---|
| No monthly fees | 3.3% processing fees + 30-cent transaction fee, you either have to charge that to the client or “eat” it |
| Most versatile with more options for global payment methods and integration with websites and apps (Stripe API) | You have to set up a Stripe account (HustleBooks Invoice uses your existing Google account) |
| You can set up recurring automatic invoices if you charge a client each month | Harder to set up than the others featured on this post |
| You can add late fees |
Invoice Solution Option 3: Venmo
Venmo is not just for splitting the bill at restaurants with your friends. Venmo for Business provides ways for small businesses to quickly accept payments. They have two solutions Venmo Business Profile and Accept Vimeo in Apps and Online. The solution for sending invoices is setting up a Venmo Business Profile.
> Venmo for Business (Business Profile)
- Price: Free (just fees)
- Fees: 1.9% of the entire invoice (processing fee) + 10 cent transaction fee
- So on an invoice of $1,000 you’ll have to pay $19.10
| Venmo Pros | Venmo Cons |
|---|---|
| No monthly fees | 1.9% processing fee + 30-cent transaction fee, you either have to charge that to the client or “eat” it |
| Lower fees than Square or Stripe | You have to set up an account (HustleBooks Invoice uses your existing Google account) |
| Accept tips option | Using Venmo may not feel normal or trustworthy with some business clients. Even though Venmo for Business is growing in popularity, some businesses might think of this platform as an app used between friends, not for business. |
| Very mobile device friendly | Non-traditional invoices |
Invoice Option 4: Bonus! All of the Above
You could use our invoice template combined with the Square or Stripe options above. If you want to have both the professional presentation of our PDF invoice, with the option to have it paid online or via credit card, just grab the payment link and add it and a line of text to the bottom of the invoice.
Be sure to actually link the text of the URL so it is clickable and the client doesn’t have to actually re-type the link into a web browser. They won’t like that, and it risks a typo causing issues.
Select the words, go to Insert > Link and paste the actual URL in.
The text could say something like this (use your own URL):
Pay this invoice online here: https://your-payment-link.com/12345
The Essential Elements of a Side Hustle Invoice
When you send a client an invoice you’re sending a legally binding document. You claiming to have done work for your client, and certifying that they are required to pay or dispute the invoice. When they get this, they have to do something.
Be sure any invoice has at least these basic items on it to be legally binding:
- Project number and title/reference – It is best for any invoice to have a unique number so you and your client can keep track of it, you should also include a job title
- Service details – Describe the work done and when it was performed
- Invoice amount – The money owed
- Client information Billed to – Your contact at the company who will be responsible for paying the invoice. Include name, email address, phone number, and street address
- Your Contact info – Provide your name, email address, phone number, and street address so you can get paid!
- Terms – Usually “Net 30” meaning it has to be paid within 30 days. (Optional: 15, 45, 60, or 90)
Legal disclaimer: I’m not a licensed attorney or accountant providing fiduciary advice. These tips are based on my experience doing business in the United States in the State of Michigan for the past 10+ years. You may have to check with your local laws or consult an attorney or accountant for specific detailed advice.
How to Easily Manage Your Side Hustle Fiances
Do you need a way to manage your side hustle or small business accounting? Check out HustleBooks Starter (free forever) to manage your projects and money. Or check out HustleBooks Pro ($49) to manage your projects, money, and business expenses.
Both solutions are designed just for you. Other accounting solutions cost money every month, even if you only do side hustle work a few months out of the year. HustleBooks spreadsheet-apps and quick online courses teach you do manage your fiances yourself, quickly, so you can get back to the hustle.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our post about side hustle invoices. Feel free to use our Invoice Template free forever. Best of luck out there.